Discussing ways to reduce waste and build community!
Celebrate thrift as a virtue, talk about creative ways to make do, or show off how you reused something!
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zerowaste @slrpnk.net foxymochakitten @slrpnk.net DIY Menstrual Pads - cut down on waste and save money
Not my website! Just a cool thing I encountered. I no longer have periods, but when I did, my flow was incredibly heavy and I spent a lot of money on pads (and of course threw away hundreds of them). I know reusable pads aren't an option for everybody, but they're definitely a great way to reduce waste! Of course, another good option would be buying menstrual underwear etc, but as someone who sews I thought I'd share this for other people who sew <3
(Also you can do cute patterns!)
A few fun facts:
- Cotton cloth pads smell better because they allow moisture to evaporate (rather than it being trapped in by plastic)
- You can wash them by hand or just rinse them to throw in with the rest of your clothes
- Research estimates that people who menstruate use about 11,400 pads in their lifetime
Hope this is helpful for someone!
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zerowaste @slrpnk.net solo @slrpnk.net 
www.pressenza.com Island Solutions: Three Philippine Islands Show What Real Zero Waste Looks LikeProving Zero Waste Works—even in Islands 08 June 2025 - Philippines - Island communities face extra challenges in waste management, but the success of
Proving Zero Waste Works—even in Islands 08 June 2025 - Philippines - Island communities face extra challenges in waste management, but the success of
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zerowaste @slrpnk.net solo @slrpnk.net 
www.theguardian.com ‘Small and mighty, that’s what we are’: the team turning discarded tents into bagsLauren Mason decided to take action after witnessing huge amounts of camping gear abandoned at festivals
Lauren Mason decided to take action after witnessing huge amounts of camping gear abandoned at festivals
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zerowaste @slrpnk.net nocturne @sopuli.xyz Flour Tin Needed
I have been buying the 20 or 25 pound sacks of Blue Bird flour. But my son's cat scratches the bags and eventually tears them. I currently have the sack in an old pop corn tin. However, when the sack is too full I cannot put on the lid. I am looking for ideas for something larger to use, without having to dump the flour into the tin.
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zerowaste @slrpnk.net Günther Unlustig 🍄 @slrpnk.net I started to grow microgreens on my old t-shirts
slrpnk.net I started to grow microgreens on my old t-shirts - SLRPNKA while ago, another member of this community posted a study on how old used fabrics can be utilised to grow hydroponic plants. The fabric should be made of synthetic fibers if you want to keep it for longer than a few days. On the main picture I’m growing cress on a “single use” cotton cloth I use ...
cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/21937555
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zerowaste @slrpnk.net activistPnk @slrpnk.net How old TomTom and Garmin Satnavs could be useful, instead of e-waste (but OSMand and Organic Maps need to improve)
A box of really old TomToms (softball sized) appeared at a street market a year ago, two for a dollar. I doubt anyone was interested in any and I doubt the seller would bother to return with them. They were probably be wasted.
In principle, old TomToms could be used to feed a smartphone. If you use a smartphone for navigation, these components compete to suck the battery dry:
- the color LCD
- GPS radio receiver
- WiFi¹
- GSM¹
(1) only applies to Google boot-lickers who enable location tracking in order to avoid the wait to acquire satellites.
The GPS is a significant drain because it’s heavy on non-stop calculations, which generates heat (wasted energy), and the heat itself hits the battery even harder.
We can do better. TomToms with bluetooth tend to suppot NMEA (I think). So the old TomTom w/outdated maps could be used purely to get a fix using its own battery supply, which it then transmits over bluetooth. So you toss TT in your backpa
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zerowaste @slrpnk.net activistPnk @slrpnk.net Petitioning for local govs to open up junk yards
cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/21474632
All my local junkyards accept e-waste but they bounce anyone who shows up with a screwdriver. Once a machine is dumped, it becomes the property of the junkyard who sees repairers who remove stuff as a threat to their bottom line, which comes from the melt value of the metals. I cannot even pay for the parts even if I wanted. I have been kicked out of junkyards enough times that the whole staff recognises me now. It’s really fucked up that the shitty melt value of the metals is prioritised above consumers will to repair.
The disposal chain goes like this:
- consumer dumps appliance waste (sometimes straight to the dump, sometimes to an org in step 2)
- some org that decides if the thing is broken or not
- if it works → goes to a charity to resell
- if reparable → goes to a charity to fix and resell
- if “non-repairable” → broken down for proper disposal
That last step uses scare quotes because they are p
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zerowaste @slrpnk.net activistPnk @slrpnk.net Should local govs establish a centralized DB to track discarded appliances and notify repairers?
cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/21474636
If I have a Whirlpool machine model XYZ, broken or not I should be able to add a record to a DB that says notify me if a machine of that model is disposed of so I can pick it up for parts or come and just remove a part that I need.
Yes, this means staff in the e-waste disposal services would need to look up the model of every item disposed to see if a repairer wants to be contacted. Is that too much to ask?
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zerowaste @slrpnk.net activistPnk @slrpnk.net wisdom of button batteries -- anyone think they are a good idea?
cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/21299422
My kitchen scale is powered by a cr2032 lithium button battery. Yes, it was sloppy of me to buy the scale without seeing how it was powered. I only use the scale once or twice per month, yet these shitty button batteries only last a few months. It seems like I only get about ~6—12 measurements before the battery is dead.
WTF? This seems to defy physics. The scale automatically powers off. Of course it must always have some power because there is no ON switch. The scale detects capacitive touch taps or weight before turning on the display.
Digital calipers use a button battery which also only gives a dozen or so measurements before the battery is dead. It seems the calipers power on when the case is snapped shut. Maybe the rattling causes it to power on since it’s very touchy. Turns on with the slightest movement.
My bicycle helmet takes a cr2032, which only lasts a few months. Perhaps because it’s hard to remember
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zerowaste @slrpnk.net Beastimus @slrpnk.net What should I store in a 1 Gallon (3.7 liter) Pickle Jar?
cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/21002819
Two weeks ago I bought a gallon of pickles, because I thought: Oh, that'll last me a while and its only $7 and I can use the jar for something after. It did not last me a while, but I can still use the jar IG. The only remaining decision is what for? My thought is to store beans in it (so that the beans don't have to be stored up high to be away from mice and so I can do a custom blend more easily, and then if I got a second gallon jar (of pickles or otherwise) I could use that as a dedicated bean soaking vessel, which would make it easier to remember to get beans soaking) or use it for making/storing lemonade (tight sealing lid makes the mixing easier, I can just shake it.) But I wasn't just going to commit to something without asking for recommendations.
Before you ask, no, there's no chance I'll use it for making pickles, I would never want to make that many at a time (though I definitely will get a smaller pickle jar for
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zerowaste @slrpnk.net nocturne @sopuli.xyz Looking for an online market place for used clothing (US)
I am in the market for a denim jacket or vest. I checked the three thrift stores in town. Only one even had a men's section. Nothing on ebay was used. Found a couple i liked on depop, Butt wanted to see what other market places exist.
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zerowaste @slrpnk.net solo @slrpnk.net 
techxplore.com Tunisian startup turns olive waste into clean energyIn a northern Tunisian olive grove, Yassine Khelifi's small workshop hums as a large machine turns olive waste into a valuable energy source in a country heavily reliant on imported fuel.
In a northern Tunisian olive grove, Yassine Khelifi's small workshop hums as a large machine turns olive waste into a valuable energy source in a country heavily reliant on imported fuel.
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zerowaste @slrpnk.net solo @slrpnk.net Introducing Japan’s First Zero-Waste Town
atmos.earth Introducing Japan’s First Zero-Waste Town | AtmosThe tiny municipality of Kamikatsu achieved an 81% recycling rate in 2016. Can it serve as a model of sustainable living for the world?
The tiny municipality of Kamikatsu achieved an 81% recycling rate in 2016. Can it serve as a model of sustainable living for the world?
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zerowaste @slrpnk.net JacobCoffinWrites @slrpnk.net is there any good way to put an extremely-flaking pleather jacket back into service?
I've got a coat I wore every winter for like eight years but didn't use this fall because a rain of macroplastics would follow me wherever I go. I can strip the pleather, flaking-paint material off to replace it with something but the fabric underneath is sort of thin and stretchy so I'd need to find something that'll help seal it against wind and rain again. I know they sell pleather paint but reviews said it's short lived or meant for patching lesser damage. It's probably a long shot but is there another option for doing the whole outside of the coat?
Otherwise it's still in great shape.
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zerowaste @slrpnk.net RideAgainstTheLizard @slrpnk.net Shoutout to the Beyond Plastics team!
grist.org Why some Starbucks locations are switching from plastic to paper cupsGreen groups say it’s a “clear admission” that the plastic ones aren’t recyclable.
Mentioned in the article is a stunt by Beyond Plastics whereby they put GPS trackers in plastic Starbucks cups to see how many actually went to recycling centers. 32 out of 36 went straight to landfill.
I want to hear about similar stunts that ordinary people can perform to highlight issues! If you have any please share them below!